Most urban beekeepers mail-order their supplies or obtain them from like-minded locals, but in San Francisco the unique Her Majesty’s Secret Beekeeper has reopened. They say they’re the only urban beekeeping store in America. Beginner beekeepers can purchase all the essentials to start their new hobby, from protective gear to hives and starter colonies. Those who are not keen on keeping their own hives can peruse the honey and other bee products for sale.

In Seattle, the Ballard Bee Company will install active beehives on your property for the spring through summer seasons. They visit regularly to check on the bees and do any maintenance. Beehive hosts pay for the service, but they do receive a jar of honey and a well-pollinated garden in return. The company also keeps bees for commercial clients such as the Fairmont Olympic Hotel where the hives sit on the roof and the honey goes into the restaurant’s menu. Our yard is already happily populated by bees that fly in from elsewhere. I’ve been wanting to top off my flowering herb plants so they grow wide instead of high but every time I go out there the teeming bees on the flowers make me feel too guilty to lop any off.